E-commerce month-end close checklist

Close in sequence: confirm the period and source records, reconcile cash and payment providers, support sales and inventory costs, review liabilities and adjustments, then reconcile the reports. Assign and document any open exception before using the results.

The checklist should record more than completion. Each task needs an owner, retained evidence, an exception where relevant and a status distinguishing work done from review completed. That makes the next action clear when a record is missing.

Use the same entity, currency and cutoff throughout. Where a report covers a different date or balance boundary, document the reconciliation rather than treating its total as interchangeable with the ledger.

Record the entity, month, reporting currency, preparer and assigned reviewer. Save the ledger version and source export dates. Collect bank statements, provider reports, sales and refund records, inventory movements, supplier bills, payroll and the asset, debt and owner records that apply.

Set a cutoff for recording the month’s activity and a process for later adjustments. The bookkeeper prepares the ledger and reconciliations; operations supplies stock and purchasing evidence; budget owners confirm their costs; the owner resolves commercial commitments.

Identify missing records before the review. Name the person obtaining each one and the report or decision it affects. This keeps a missing supplier invoice or stock count from being buried inside a completed checklist.

For every applicable row, assign an owner and retain a link or reference to the evidence. Use Open, Done, Reviewed or N/A consistently. Done means the task has been prepared; Reviewed means the assigned review has occurred and its record is available.

For N/A, record why the task does not apply. For an exception, retain the amount or affected balance, missing evidence, follow-up and due date. Review the table with the period’s reports before completing the handover.

Print the page or use this table in the close record. Add the entity, period, currency, preparer, reviewer, ledger version and actual review date to its header.

Reconcile opening quantities plus receipts, less sales and other documented movements, to closing stock. Review returns, damaged goods and goods in transit using the supporting records and the applicable accounting policy. Agree quantities before relying on the valuation.

Support inventory unit costs and the costs included in valuation. COGS reflects inventory recognized as expense with the related sales, not the month’s supplier bank payments. Reconcile purchase liabilities and deposits separately.

Check whether fulfilment, freight or return handling has been included in inventory cost, period expense or the profitability allocation. Record the boundary and avoid charging the same amount twice.

Investigate valuation adjustments and unusual stock movements rather than explaining every change as purchases or sales. Keep the adjustment calculation and approval evidence with the inventory record.

An exception record needs the affected account or report, amount where known, source reference, missing evidence, responsible person and next check. State what is supported by records and what still requires confirmation.

For a provisional figure, describe its basis and the condition for replacing it. For example, a documented unmatched payout belongs on the transit schedule while its bank receipt is checked; an unsupported difference needs investigation.

Prioritize items that could change a payment, inventory or pricing decision. A blank cost field can overstate product contribution; a missing supplier balance can understate future cash commitments. Carry those consequences into the handover.

Corrections should follow the evidence and the applicable ledger process. Preserve the original reconciliation and reference the adjustment so the next reviewer can follow the change.

Provide the period reports, reconciled cash and provider balances, inventory and COGS support, liability detail and open exceptions. Include the version and cutoff so the forecast starts from an identified set of actuals.

Carry unpaid PO deposits and balances, supplier invoices, payroll and other scheduled obligations into the cash forecast with their dates. Join them by identifier to avoid listing the same liability in both the payable and PO schedules.

If profit and bank cash moved differently, use a same-period bridge to explain the main drivers. Then update the 13-week view for expected collections and payments. Historical explanation and future payment capacity require their own calculations.

Record the review date, reviewed version, checks completed and exceptions left open. Store that record with the supporting schedules. If the ledger changes later, identify the adjustment and update the affected reports and forecast assumptions.

Compare recurring exceptions across months. Repeated late invoices, missing costs or unmatched payouts may point to a record-collection or reconciliation step that needs a clearer owner and timetable.

Keep completion and review statuses aligned with the work actually performed. The checklist is a record of evidence and responsibility, so a status should help the next person understand what they can rely on.

Choose the latest month and mark each applicable row. Start with the gaps affecting cash, inventory cost or contribution. Assign an evidence owner and a next check, then reconcile the reports once the records are available.

For a bookkeeping discussion, bring the ledger, key source exports and current exception list. Use the payout guide for settlement differences and the contribution guide for cost completeness before acting on a product margin.